


Dragon Fire

by CasiplesCastle



Series: Dragon Fire [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Fire Nation Royal Family, Firebending & Firebenders, Fluff, Gen, Rainbow flames, azula adores her big brother, but in a violent way, but they're taking it one lovable moment at a time, dragon fire, he's just in denial, its a first for everyone, the people of the fire nation love their fire lord, zuko is a powerful fire bender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:09:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24181876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasiplesCastle/pseuds/CasiplesCastle
Summary: Zuko's fire became a legendary rainbow among his people.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Zuko & The Fire Nation (Avatar)
Series: Dragon Fire [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745416
Comments: 118
Kudos: 3068
Collections: A:tla, Good_or_Decent_Zuko_With_a_dash_of_Iroh_Azula_Gaang, The Witch's Woods





	Dragon Fire

**Author's Note:**

> This came out of nowhere. I guess I just want Zuko to have more peace. Fluff and all. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Zuko's fire became more vibrant after meeting the Masters.

He could feel the flames grow hotter and its flow more fluid as he bent. He breathed and his inner flame flared, he exhaled and he felt it turn to warmth. Fire became something else for him after the dragons showed him the truth. Fire was more than it's ever been, and he wanted to share this discovery with the world.

It was the reason why he felt so calm for the first time in years, something in him settling as if content.

He grew stronger, as a result. Training Aang had been an amazing experience, even if they had been on the run. Zuko had been able to do the advance sets easier, more graceful than anything he had performed under his uncle’s tutelage. The sun felt a little different on his skin, too. More powerful, and more present.

Fire was in everything now. It was there when they threw him in a freezer when they rescued Suki and Hakoda. It was a faithful and comfortable companion when he took Katara to have the vengeance she never claimed. It was there when she finally forgave him, warm and soulful. It was there when he asked Aang if he would kill his father, burning and determined.

Fire was the essence of his existence. So long as he had it, now, nothing could defeat his spirit.

It was the reason why, after years of falling behind his little sister, that he knew he could stand toe-to-toe with her. He knew he could beat her, not because he was more powerful, but because his inner flame was more stable than Azula’s. Azula’s flames had seemed fragmented to his own, and raging in its writhing form. His little sister is broken, and Zuko had no one to blame but Ozai.

After the war and the many obstacles of repairing what remained, he considered earning a true mastery of his element. He may have been hailed as the Avatar's Fire Bending Master, but he was not—technically—a master himself.

So, he gathered whoever could teach him. He called for Fire Sages, grandmasters, healers, and even performers to teach him the ways of Fire.

The variety had excited him. Techniques Ozai and Azula would consider weak and useless were lifesavers. What they would scoff at, Zuko exhaled as amazing and beautiful. Zuko absorbed everything his people offered to teach him, and they loved him for it. The Fire Nation became absolutely loyal to him for his love of their own livelihood, for understanding them more than he ever needed to. Just because he _wanted_ to.

The Fire Nation hasn't had such a ruler for more than a hundred years. And the love returned to them was exalting.

So, Zuko learned, and ruled, and improved, and created something _new_ entirely.

On one such occasion, he had been working with a performer. One of Ikem's friends from the theater who specialized in shaping his fire into different creatures and faces. The theatrics were beautiful and, of course, wasn't practical, so, he'd saved learning it for last.

Zuko was trying to bend his flames into the likeness of Master Shaw when his flames drew a different color.

It wasn't Azula's cold blue, but something of a darker shade. Like the ocean’s depths or Master Shaw's scales. Both the performer and Zuko were surprised, even if it was momentary. The performer immediately clapped his hands, a smile bursting from his lips and congratulated his Fire Lord for his colorful flames.

Blue was still considered the strongest fire because it burned hotter. But Zuko's own blue flames didn't feel hotter than his regular flames. So, he smiled back at his teacher and stored it for later, wondering.

Now, everyone compared him to Azula’s strength.

People of the Fire Nation and the budding New Republic City have complemented him about his bending. The late bloomer Fire Lord, stronger and wiser than the Fire Lords before him, had achieved so much through the short years since he and the Avatar ended the Hundred-Year War. The Fire Lord who was scarred and banished, yet returned to his rightful place as the Fire Nation’s rightful ruler with sheer will, bad luck, and a nudge of destiny.

As he took on the responsibility of helping restore the balance in the world, maintaining the peace, and rebuilding the lost culture of his people, Zuko became more and more immersed in the artistic forms of fire bending. It helped that the Dancing Dragon was a form that wasn’t even useful in battle. The form never required powerful thrusts or high, lethal kicks, but it was enough for the Masters.

And apparently— _unsurprisingly_ —Zuko _thrived_ in it.

His bending became more spirited and _colorful_. His fire first hinted a deep blue, then shades of green, and purple, and pink. He would perform his forms and they would come out _beautiful_.

Zuko had laughed and whooped in joy for the first time in a long, long time. He showed his fire to Aang and immediately wanted to teach his friend. But Aang, the prodigious Avatar, cannot seem to immediately grasp it. Zuko would reassure Aang not to worry, he had _time_. He could do and learn anything without looking over his shoulder or _counting_ down the days. Even Zuko’s rainbow-colored flames.

Zuko was content to wait and teach.

.

.

.

For the Fire Nation, their Fire Lord developing a whole form of fire bending had rocked the entire foundation of their belief system.

His Ministers, and Generals, and Admirals, the whole of nobility who were taught to power their fire with anger and aggression were so distressed and confused at the sight of their Fire Lord performing impossible, wonderful feats that they began to scour their ancient libraries and the Fire Sages’ temples to obtain information about the beautiful flames their liege lord bends.

There has to be an explanation! No one can put _rainbows_ in their damn fire! Not even the _Avatar_ himself had colors in his flames, even when he tried! And the _Avatar_ could bend _energy_! He could bend _light_! It became even more confusing when they found out that this _brand_ of fire bending belonged _solely_ to the _dragons_.

 _Dragons_ who were hunted for sport. _Dragons_ who were driven to extinction.

 _Dragons_ who were suddenly _resurfacing_.

And, thus, began the spiral of the Fire Nation’s belief system.

It was first a rumor among the commoners who had seen long, monstrous forms out in the ocean. Fishermen who sailed during the night had spotted them, snaking through the skies as if they glided, wings beating so loud and strong, it caught their sails and drew them off course.

The law of allowing to hunt for the dragons were long since abolished. Since the Fire Lord first took to the throne, it was one of the very first decrees he had made sure to strike down. It was strange at the time to abolish a law specifically for creatures that no longer exists. No one thought better of it.

Until now.

The dragons are _extinct_ , the governors of the outlying villages would reassure. No one had seen one in decades. The last one was hunted down and _killed_ by the Dragon of the West himself.

The people grumbled and settled, reassured.

Until— _of course_ — _Fire Lord Zuko_ disappeared and reappeared with a _baby_ _dragon_ _on his shoulder_ with the same casualness the Avatar would have his lemur perched on his shoulder.

The Fire Nation, naturally, proceeded to descend into uproar.

 _How_? How, in the name of Agni and all his light, is the _teenage_ monarch who discovered a new form of fire bending also _coincidently_ rediscovered the existence of the Avatar down in the South Pole, and also _coincidently_ was the honorable, banished Crown Prince who was the Avatar’s Fire Bending Master, and _also coincidentally_ rediscovered the _dragons_?

The entire country was wrought with anticipation with what their ruler could be up to next. They have never experienced this much excitement being thrown at them even before the last one died down. The people are only just finding out about the truth of his Agni Kai with Ozai. Now, they have to deal with the three years he spent at sea, the months he spent with the Avatar, and all the achievements he’d managed since taking the throne.

The man never did anything half-way. He was driven, and he succeeds with sheer will and determination.

He _never_ gives up.

If he wasn’t the epitome of every ideal the people of the Fire Nation strive to uphold, they don’t know who is.

When the Fire Lord had _reinstated_ his sister as a princess, it just drove home how utterly insane he is.

.

.

.

Princess Azula was known far and wide to be as sadistic and cruel as her father. She was calculating and cold, like her flames that blaze the hottest blue and her lightning that strikes deadly quick.

But to the people’s surprise, when she returned to her duties as royalty, she merely sat at her brother’s right hand and reinforced his will with frightening prejudice. Princess Azula has never been—and never will _be_ —a gentle princess. She was made for fire and trained for combat. Princess Azula wielded her blue flames over the faces of those who sought to undermine or dethrone her brother. She hunted down supporters of her father and crushed rebellions that emerged in their wake.

She was ruthless and insatiable.

Yet she was almost quiet when she dealt with the common people, with the awkward guiding hand of her brother. Some days, when the skies were clear and the peace held strong, Fire Lord Zuko would lead his sister down to the common folk of the Caldera. He didn’t ride a palanquin or dress in the regalia of his armor or the formal robes of his station. Instead, he would dress simply, comfortable and casual. His dragon draped across his shoulders like a scarf. He would have a contingent of guards but they blended into the crowd, watching and out of the way.

Most of the time, Princess Azula would look murderously at her brother it was almost treason. But Fire Lord Zuko would only look indulgent at his little sister, as if he was any other man who was dragging a sibling out of their room and into the light of day. Princess Azula would grind her teeth but followed her big brother dutifully.

Oftentimes, Fire Lord Zuko performed his beautiful forms during these trips.

The people would look in awe of his fire, the colors vibrant and warm. He would teach the small, fire bending children who would beg him on the street, starting them off with breathing correctly to giving them a full demonstration of his stances.

The people rejoiced whenever he did. The Fire Lord himself had deemed it worthy to humble himself and teach his people his own forms with his own flames, in spite of being a monarch. In spite of all the formalities he breeched. In spite of seemingly impenetrable walls of stations.

Fire Lord Zuko doesn’t care about classes.

Fire Lord Zuko doesn’t deem their children unworthy of teaching how he bent his beautiful fire.

Fire Lord Zuko worked as hard as any of them, and they respect and love him for it.

Princess Azula would often watch her brother off to the side, nearest one of the female guards with a beautiful face paint. She would observe his stances, his breathing and his flames that flowed gracefully around the arc of his arms, iridescent fire warming the street. Her expression is always neutral. But her eyes were always glimmering and curious.

Princess Azula would grumble and grumble until her brother would offer a hand, an invitation to dance.

She would seethe and stomp but she would allow herself to be led to the center of a crowd.

They would perform katas like a dance, the Fire Lord’s dragon circling them instinctively, almost performing along with the royal siblings.

Their fire was beautiful to behold. Princess Azula’s fire was unchanging. Strong, raging blue that was so hot it seared, but it never left her control. Her execution of each movement was perfectly choreographed, performed to be as seamless and flawless as it was _meant_ to be. Firelord Zuko’s fire was warm and everchanging in their colors. His forms were impeccable, of course, but they were loose, more amenable than his little sister’s. There was a story in each step and each thrust, his movements were meaningful and _experienced_.

The royal siblings are the perfect opposites. And the perfect parallels.

Fire Lord Zuko is all heart and soul while Princess Azula is all mind and body.

The impossible happened daily around the Fire Lord. Princess Azula is more than armed in making sure the impossible didn’t kill him, and she took to her duties with _extreme_ prejudice.

Together, they are _formidable_.

.

.

.

It wasn’t long when the princess herself would have strange colors in her fire, too.

All shades of blues and greens, then deep purple and pink. When she fought, her fire was pure and deadly blue along with her lightning, but when she wasn’t… when she was alone in a training courtyard or strolling with her brother, teaching peasants, or when she just _feels like it_ , her fire would be _beautiful_.

Fire Lord Zuko’s fire was iridescent and everchanging, his colors were wild and natural. He bent like his little dragon, a force of nature no amount of alterations or altercations could overwhelm. Princess Azula on the other hand took care of her colors. She could produce a one-colored flame of different shades just because she _wanted to_. She bent with pure green or pure lilac if it pleased her. The need to be perfect was never driven out of her but rather given entirely to the natural force of her own personality. She was her own person, and she reveled in it. Princess Azula had always been—and _will always be_ —a prodigious fire bender. And she exercised her power by flaunting the colors she could wield. She learned her brother’s secret and took it even further. The impossibility of her bending made the rainbow fire even more famous.

When asked how he felt about his sister upstaging him in his own game, often Fire Lord Zuko would look amused and dangerous. Only nobles would ask such an impertinent question so he had no qualms of putting them in their place by saying, “She’s my little sister. All little sisters are naturally stronger than their big brothers. That is the way of life for us older brothers. Are you not aware of this, Minister? Or shall I have Crown Prince Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe discuss with you his own experience with a prodigious sister, the venerated Princess Katara.”

It was not long after that when the first fire benders who could wield the everchanging-flames emerged. They were offered to be taught by the Fire Lord and the Princess themselves.

After they learned the secret of Dragon Fire, they themselves became teachers and took students.

For decades, Dragon Fire and lightning were revered as one of the strongest forms of fire bending. Only the strongest of benders could wield them.

Eventually, technology progressed and even lightning was more commonly used in machinery than in battle. As the world healed and grasped the concept of a coexisting peace, lightning slowly grew out of the novelty.

But Dragon Fire remained a mystery.

Dragon Fire could only be held by the most passionate hearts and the purest of souls. It is a gift a dragon bestows and only a true follower of the dragon ways could hold. The world moved forward along with the power of the keepers of fire. But the everchanging flames remained the same, as they have for thousands of years, from the very first dragon.

Dragon Fire became the purest form of fire bending. The _original_ form, some would say.

And it all began when once Fire Lord, Zuko, bent rainbow-colored flames.

.

.

.


End file.
